Premier of Guadalcanal province, Stephen Panga has made an advance visit to the provincial capital of Malaita, Auki, ahead of the Guadalcanal sporting contingent to the Solomon Games which kick off tomorrow.
Mr Panga, the first Guadalcanal leader to visit Malaita since the ethnic unrest, made a courtesy call on his Malaita counter-part Richard Na'amo Irosaea."My visit has strengthened the trust and confidence that the Guadalcanal province has placed in Mr Irosaea his provincial executive and organizers of the Solomon Games to look after the sports men and women from Guadalcanal."
He said despite what had happened in the past, he believes that the people and governments of both provinces will be able to reconcile and forgive each other through such interactions.
Mr Panga said the arrival of Guadalcanal's sporting contingent in Malaita will seek to "create new and lasting friendships with the people of Malaita."
Mr Panga presented a Guadalcanal traditional Chupu to Mr Irosaea, a respectable traditional norm, paving the way for the sporting continent from Guadalcanal to arrive on Malaita and freely enjoy the games.
Mr Panga said Malaita and Guadalcanal will now unite with the rest of Solomon Islands in forgiving and forgetting past differences.